20

Mar

Shantaram ready to resign as GPCC chief to make way for youth

PANAJI: Inspired by All India Congress Committee (AICC) president Rahul Gandhi’s speech at the concluding session of the Congress party’s plenary at New Delhi, Goa Pradesh Congress Committee president Shantaram Naik on Monday announced that he would resign as the GPCC chief to make way for new and young leaders in the state.
“I am inspired by the speech of our party president, who had said that senior leaders should stand back and groom the younger generation by providing them the platform to emerge as the next leaders of our country. Hence, I have taken a decision to set an example and step down from the post of the GPCC president,” said Naik while speaking to this daily.
Naik, along with leader of Opposition Chandrakant Kavlekar, Ponda MLA Ravi Naik and other senior leaders, attended the Indian National Congress’ 84th Plenary Session in New Delhi.
Naik said that he would make a formal announcement before the media on Wednesday and then write to Gandhi asking him to relieve him of his duties and hand over the charge to a ‘young Congressman’ from Goa.
“April 12 is my birthday, I will turn 72 and even though I shouldn’t suggest the party high command to accept my resignation on a particular day, yet I will write to Gandhi urging him to accept my resignation on my birthday,” he said.
When questioned as to who he would like to see as his successor, Naik refused to name any of the young local leaders and said the party high command will take the decision. “I will appeal to Gandhi to hand over the charge to a Congressman, who is committed to our party and who will work for its vertical growth in Goa,” he said.